Timmy Jernigan / Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

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They talk about it in personnel meetings and during the build up to the draft, and in five years Martin Mayhew’s draft-week objective has never changed.

“We want to find three starters in every draft, we want to find three guys that contribute in every draft and three developmental guys,” Mayhew said earlier this week. “That’s our goal going into every draft.”

Last year, the Lions did a good job meeting that goal.

Ziggy Ansah and Larry Warford were immediate starters and undrafted free agent LaAdrian Waddle took over at right tackle midway through the season. Sam Martin manned punting duties as a rookie, Devin Taylor and Joseph Fauria played key backup roles, and the Lions expect Darius Slay to start at cornerback this year.

Mayhew’s previous drafts haven’t produced nearly as much talent.

Just eight of the Lions’ 22 projected starters entering Thursday’s first round were drafted by the Lions during Mayhew’s tenure as GM. Two more, Waddle and Fauria, signed as undrafted free agents.

That’s an average of two starters per draft per year, and history shows that the Lions have struggled most turning Day 2 picks into long-term starters.

Of the 10 players the Lions have selected in the second or third rounds the last five years, just six remain with the team.

Mayhew said this year’s draft, buoyed by the early entry of a record 98 underclassmen, is deep enough to produce impact players on Day 2.

So with Round 1 in the books, here are several prospects the Lions could consider in the second round:

• DT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State

Jernigan was a first-round pick in many mock drafts, and the Lions need depth at defensive tackle with Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley in the final year of their contracts.

• DE Kony Ealy, Missouri

The Lions took two defensive ends last year, but with Jason Jones coming off knee surgery they’re still thin at the position. Ealy also could bulk up and play tackle.

• OLB Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech

Jim Caldwell wants a flamethrower off the edge, and Attaochu was that with 12½ sacks last year. He has played both defensive end and linebacker but projects as the latter in the NFL.

• OLB Kyle Van Noy, BYU

He’s not the perfect edge rusher, but Ziggy Ansah’s former teammate is a dependable player who can play anywhere in the linebacking corps.

• CB Pierre Desir, Lindenwood

They passed on most of the corners in Round 1, but they still need insurance at the position because of Chris Houston’s toe. Desir (6-feet-1, 198) has ideal length and intercepted 25 passes at two college stops.